‘Unrealistic’ to expect Red Bull defeat – Heidfeld

It is “unrealistic” to expect Red Bull might be beatable on the streets of Monaco this weekend.

Some reports have pointed out that while the RB6s dominated Barcelona qualifying before Mark Webber commandingly won, Sebastian Vettel was actually being beaten by Lewis Hamilton until the German suffered his brake problem.

Moreover, while Red Bull was also competitive in the 2009 season, the Monaco street circuit was not among the car’s strongest.

But according to Mercedes reserve driver Heidfeld, it is wishful thinking to expect the Milton Keynes based team to struggle at the Principality this weekend.

“It is realistic that things will look a little differently,” he is quoted by Motorsport Aktuell, “but it is unrealistic to think Red Bull will no longer be at the front.

“Their gap in Barcelona was just too big, more than a second (per lap),” Heidfeld remarked.

Red Bull’s main Achilles heel so far this year has been unreliability, with Vettel telling Die Welt newspaper that the RB6 “is quick but it must go quickly to the finish”.

Webber insisted: “We can build tractors, but they are slow.  You need to build formula one cars that are on the edge and this is the balance everyone is chasing.”

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